Mark Judge (writer)
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Mark Gauvreau Judge (born September 24, 1964) is an American author and journalist known for books about his suburban
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
youth, recovery from alcoholism, and the role of music in American popular culture. Judge briefly drew national attention during the 2018 Supreme Court nomination hearings of Brett Kavanaugh, when professor
Christine Blasey Ford Christine Margaret Blasey Ford ( ; born November 1966) is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models f ...
alleged that Judge was present and laughing as Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were high school students over 30 years previously. Judge said that he had no memory of the incident.


Early life and education

Judge was born in 1964. His father,
Joseph Judge Joseph Judge (February 4, 1928—April 20, 1996) was a writer and editor for ''National Geographic'' magazine, retiring as Senior Associate Editor in 1990 after 25 years of service. Early life Judge was born in Washington, D.C. His parents wer ...
, graduated from
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
in 1950 and subsequently became a journalist for ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
'' and then for ''
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
''. Judge is the grandson of Joe Judge, a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player for the Washington Senators for the period 1915–1932; he later wrote a book about his grandfather. Judge grew up in
Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...
. He describes his parents as often inattentive and recounts that he observed his father's heavy drinking of alcohol. Judge started drinking at 14. He attended
Georgetown Preparatory School Georgetown Preparatory School (also known as Georgetown Prep) is a Jesuit college-preparatory school in North Bethesda, Maryland for boys in ninth through twelfth grade. It has a 93-acre (380,000 square meters) campus. It is the only Jesuit board ...
, graduating in 1983. Judge was friends with classmate
Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael Kavanaugh ( ; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since Oc ...
; both were in the same class there with
Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single- ...
member
Richard Madaleno Richard Stuart Madaleno Jr., commonly known as Rich Madaleno (born June 16, 1965), is an American politician from Maryland. A Democrat, he was a member of the Maryland State Senate, representing the state's 18th district in Montgomery County, ...
. The period became the subject of scrutiny in 2018 when Kavanaugh was nominated to the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
, and allegations were made that in 1982 Judge witnessed Kavanaugh sexually assaulting
Christine Blasey Ford Christine Margaret Blasey Ford ( ; born November 1966) is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models f ...
, then a student from a local girls' school. Judge received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
(CUA) in 1990.


Career

Judge was a
freelance writer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
in 1989 in the Washington, D.C. area. By 1990 he had become a contributor to ''
The Progressive ''The Progressive'' is a left-leaning American magazine and website covering politics and culture. Founded in 1909 by U.S. senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. and co-edited with his wife Belle Case La Follette, it was originally called ''La Follett ...
'', ''
In These Times ''In These Times'' is an American politically progressive monthly magazine of news and opinion published in Chicago, Illinois. It was established as a broadsheet-format fortnightly newspaper in 1976 by James Weinstein, a lifelong socialist. ...
'', and ''
Sojourners ''Sojourners'' is a progressive monthly magazine and daily online publication of the American Christian social justice organization Sojourners, which arose out of the Sojourners Community. It was first published in 1971 under the original titl ...
''. Judge briefly taught at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
but left in the 1990s. In 1997 Judge wrote '' Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk'', a memoir about his youthful
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' review called it a "naive and earnest" book. Judge resided in
Potomac, Maryland Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary deg ...
in 1998. Judge was a contributing writer to the ''
New York Press ''New York Press'' was a free alternative weekly in New York City, which was published from 1988 to 2011. The ''Press'' strove to create a rivalry with the ''Village Voice''. ''Press'' editors claimed to have tried to hire away writer Nat Hento ...
,'' an alternative weekly, in 1999. Judge published '' If It Ain't Got That Swing: The Rebirth of Grown-Up Culture'' in 2000. The book chronicled the author's transition from support of
liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
towards
right-wing politics Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, author ...
. Judge writes that he was influenced by the writings of
Christopher Lasch Robert Christopher Lasch (June 1, 1932 – February 14, 1994) was an American historian, moralist and social critic who was a history professor at the University of Rochester. He sought to use history to demonstrate what he saw as the pervasiven ...
, especially his work ''
The Culture of Narcissism ''The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations'' is a 1979 book by the cultural historian Christopher Lasch, in which the author explores the roots and ramifications of what he perceives as the normalizing of pat ...
''. By February 2001, Judge's book ''If It Ain't Got That Swing'' had become a
bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
in the United States; The book received largely negative reviews. Judge's book '' Damn Senators'', about his
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player grandfather Joe Judge, was published in 2003 to favorable reviews. ''
The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
'' wrote of the author's description of 1924: "Mark Gauvreau Judge, has beautifully captured the excitement and intensity of that season." On ''
Weekend Edition ''Weekend Edition'' is a set of American radio news magazine programs produced and distributed by National Public Radio (NPR). It is the weekend counterpart to the NPR radio program ''Morning Edition''. It consists of ''Weekend Edition Saturday'' ...
'', journalist Michael Kranish highlighted Judge's book ''Damn Senators'' among his favorite summer reading picks in 2004. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' wrote that Judge "so nicely captured" the "glory of Washington baseball" in ''Damn Senators''. In ''
God and Man at Georgetown Prep ''God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling'' is a 2005 memoir about Catholic school, alcoholism, binge drinking, and hookup culture at Georgetown Preparatory School, written by Mark Gauvreau ...
'' (2005,) Judge wrote that the faculty at Georgetown Prep contained a multitude of homosexual priests, and heavy drinking and wild parties were rampant among the students. Biographer
Jerry Oppenheimer Jerry Oppenheimer is an American author who has written several unauthorized biographies of public figures including Hillary and Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, Rock Hudson, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters, Ethel Kennedy, Jerry Seinfeld and the Hilto ...
wrote in his 2015 book ''RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream,'' that Judge's book "caused quite a storm, especially among the alumni and administration going back decades, because Judge, a conservative Catholic, had alleged that 'alcoholism was rampant' among the 'left-wing Jesuits' and claimed that the school had been a hotbed of 'rampant homosexuality.' Half of the faculty, he asserted, 'was gay.'" ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' called the book "a humorous, edgy look at his experiences in three prestigious U.S. Catholic schools." ''
National Catholic Register The ''National Catholic Register'' is a Catholic newspaper in the United States. It was founded on November 8, 1927, by Matthew J. Smith as the national edition of the '' Denver Catholic Register''. The ''Registers current owner is the Ete ...
'' found Judge's writing to be too vague, commenting, "There are too many theories and too little space." ''
The Wichita Eagle ''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surrounding area. History Origins In 1870, ''The Vidette'' was the fi ...
'' recommended a piece by Judge for ''
Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' in 2006, commenting it evidenced the ability of religious believers to appreciate the good that musical culture can bring to society. Judge's book, '' A Tremor of Bliss: Sex, Catholicism, and Rock 'n' Roll'', was published in 2010. ''
First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
'' wrote, "An insightful history of the rise of contraception in the last century provides the most valuable material in ''A Tremor of Bliss''." The publication recommended Judge's work, concluding, "A Tremor of Bliss is a book well worth reading from an author unafraid of showing some 'attitude.'"
Jeremy Lott Jeremy Lott (born October 1, 1978) is an American writer, editor, and pundit. He briefly worked at the news website Rare. Previously, Lott was the editor of Real Clear Religion and associate editor of Real Clear Science. Lott has written seve ...
of ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...
'' reviewed the book, concluding, "Judge proposes a Catholic sexual counterrevolution, though he doesn't want to call it that. What he clearly does want is U.S. Catholic education to play a vital role in countering the current almost-anything-goes culture." In addition to writing books, Judge has contributed to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ''
The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
'', and ''
First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
''. Regarding
LGBT people The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...
, Judge wrote in ''
The Daily Caller ''The Daily Caller'' is a right-wing news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by now-Fox News host Tucker Carlson and political pundit Neil Patel (political advisor), Neil Patel in 2010. Launched as a "American Conserva ...
'', "We simply are not allowed to talk about certain things at the risk of our jobs and reputations. One is human anatomy, another is the problem of promiscuity in the gay community." Judge wrote a piece titled "Hard Case Crime: the Beauty of Male Passion" on ''
Splice Today Russ Smith (born 1955) is an American newspaper publisher and columnist best known for founding the ''Baltimore City Paper'', ''Washington City Paper'' and ''New York Press''. After selling the Baltimore and Washington ''City Paper''s for $4 mi ...
'' lamenting that "today’s social justice warriors don’t like a sexy damsel in distress". Judge elaborated that "Of course ... no means no and yes means yes. But there’s also that ambiguous middle ground, where the woman seems interested and indicates, whether verbally or not, that the man needs to prove himself to her. And if that man is any kind of man, he’ll allow himself to feel the awesome power, the wonderful beauty, of uncontrollable male passion."


Brett Kavanaugh Supreme court nomination

In 2018, Judge was implicated in an alleged
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
that surfaced after his high school classmate Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. On September 27,
Christine Blasey Ford Christine Margaret Blasey Ford ( ; born November 1966) is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models f ...
testified
under oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to giv ...
before the
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
that when all three were in high school at a party in 1982, Judge and Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom where Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her, and attempted to remove her clothes against her will while Judge watched and laughed. Judge told ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' that he had "no recollection" of the alleged incident. In a follow-up interview with ''
The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
'', Judge called the allegations "just absolutely nuts. I never saw Brett act that way." Asked if there was "rough-housing" with female peers that the ''Weekly Standard'' interviewer suggested "might have been interpreted differently by parties involved", Judge said he only recollected it taking place among the male students of the all-boys school: "I don't remember any of that stuff going on with girls." He subsequently sent a letter to the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
saying, "I have no memory of this alleged incident." Judge also stated he did not wish to speak publicly about the incident. Following the announcement of the allegations, Judge temporarily moved to a beach house in
Bethany Beach, Delaware Bethany Beach is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the town is 1,060; however, during the summer months some 15,000 more populate the town as vacationer ...
under recommendation of his lawyer. He was found a week later by a ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' reporter outside the home, along with his car, which was filled with his belongings. Multiple U.S. senators acquired copies of Judge's books about his time with Kavanaugh at Georgetown Preparatory School, to prepare for questioning Kavanaugh and Ford before the
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. In a subsequent ''New Yorker'' article, Elizabeth Rasor, who was once in a relationship with Judge for three years, stated that "Mark told me a very different story." She said he told her of taking turns having sex with drunk women at Georgetown Prep. Another woman also disputed Judge's account of the social scene at the time, sending a letter to Ford's lawyers saying that she had witnessed boys at parties, that included Georgetown Prep students, engaging in sexual misconduct. On September 28, 2018, Senator
Richard Blumenthal Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...
made a motion before the
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
to subpoena Judge to testify about Kavanaugh. Blumenthal said before calling his motion, "He has never been questioned by any member of our committee. He has never submitted a detailed account of what he knows and so I move ... that we subpoena Mark Judge." Blumenthal noted, "The third person in the room was Mark Judge, who was never questioned by the FBI or interviewed by the committee." Republicans defeated the motion for a subpoena on a party-line vote. US Congressman
Ted Lieu Ted W. Lieu (; born March 29, 1969) is an American politician and Air Force Reserve Command colonel who has represented California's 33rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015. The district includes much of weste ...
of the
United States House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
and Congressman
Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecess ...
of the
United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...
stated their intentions to subpoena Judge and call him for testimony before the US Congress, after the 2018 US midterm elections. After Republican US Senator
Jeff Flake Jeffry Lane Flake (born December 31, 1962) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current U.S Ambassador to Turkey. A member of the Republican Party, Flake served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and ...
called for an FBI investigation, Judge released a statement that he would cooperate with all law enforcement authorities regarding the allegations against Kavanaugh. After a request from Flake, followed by a request from the US Senate Judiciary Committee, President Trump ordered an
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
investigation into the sexual assault allegations.


Publications


Books

* * * * *


Articles

* * * * * *


See also

* List of American conservatives * List of Catholic University of America people * List of Georgetown Prep alumni


References


External links


Mark Gauvreau Judge
at ''
The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
''
Mark Gauvreau Judge
at
Claremont Institute The Claremont Institute is a conservative think tank based in Upland, California. The institute was founded in 1979 by four students of Harry V. Jaffa. It produces the ''Claremont Review of Books,'' ''The American Mind'', and other publications. ...

Mark Gauvreau Judge
at ''
Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...
''
Mark Gauvreau Judge
at ''
Crisis Magazine Sophia Institute Press is a non-profit publishing company based in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. It publishes Catholic books, the online opinion journal ''Crisis Magazine'', the traditionalist Catholic website ''OnePeterFive'', the Tri ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Judge, Mark 1960s births Living people 20th-century American essayists 20th-century American journalists American male journalists 21st-century American essayists 21st-century American journalists 21st-century American writers American male essayists American memoirists American music journalists American political journalists Georgetown University faculty Jazz writers Journalists from Maryland Religion journalists Writers from Maryland 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers